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You've probably heard this many times before, but it bears repeating all the same: Today's city elections probably will have a more direct impact on your day-to-day life than state and national ones.

It's city government that's responsible for such routine necessities as drinkable water, drivable streets and safe neighborhoods.

This year's filings yielded the biggest field of council candidates in recent memory, 32, and many, if not most, have mounted serious campaigns.

Early voting this year surpassed 2007's total last week, with 731 votes cast through Friday. Even so, county Elections Director George Gilbert expects no more than an 8 percent turnout in today's primaries. It would be a pleasant surprise if the voters prove him wrong and do better.

Among issues to consider as you make your choices today:

The White Street Landfill. The council needs to reach a clear, honest and informed reckoning on how the city should proceed, long-term, on the sensitive but important topic of household waste.

The new city manager. The council has made a promising hire in Rashad Young. Now, will it create a clear set of agreed-upon goals and objectives, as it should, to measure Young's effectiveness and filter out the twin poisons of personalities and politics?

Evaluating the council. Will the council set specific goals and objectives by which to measure its own success? If it's to hold the manager accountable, shouldn't it hold itself accountable as well?

Ethics and disclosure. Where do the candidates stand on a proposal to require council members, as well as the city manager, to provide full disclosure of their financial interests?

The police department. How to build on the department's successes while addressing its weaknesses and repairing its image in the community?

Jobs. Fourteen of the 28 candidates running today cite job creation as the city's most pressing problem. How best to address that challenge and what should be the council's role?

Style also matters. Which candidates bring to the table the right stuff for consensus-building and when it comes to that, disagreeing constructively? Those decisions ultimately are the voters' to make.

In the end, of course, the act of casting a ballot is a quiet, private affair. But it's also your chance to speak loudest about the kind of future you want for Greensboro and the kind of leadership it will require.